Sport and leisure

In shape between nature and fun

The Marche Region is ideal for sports lovers or for those who simply like to practice outdoor sports. To stay in shape, to rediscover wellness or simply to just have fun. The peculiar conformation of the territory, very articulated and varied, allows you to go from the sea to to the hillside as well as the mountainside in merely a few hours, hence, offering many opportunities to practice your favourite sport. During the day it is possible to alternate between scuba diving excursions, enchanting horseback or mountain bike trails, to participate in beach volley tournaments, to try free climbing, perched on the white cliffs overlooking the sea. And not only this: the offer ranges from canoeing to âbocceâ, from skating to flying, from bowling to golf, from speleology to archery. Therefore, the opportunities to be surrounded by nature and pass your leisure time in an enjoyable way while meeting other people and improving physical fitness, are not lacking in The Marche.

A deep relationship links The Marche and sport: In some sports such as motorcycling, fencing, swimming, basketball, rhythmic gymnastics, volleyball, table-tennis, the Marche excels at an international level with champions worthy of Olympic gold medals, this shows the dedication to competitive sport of tough people used to put themselves to the test. Just think of Valentina Vezzali, the Italian athlete that holds the all time record for winning gold medals at the Olympics. Valentino Rossi, motorcyclist, the first Italian to win the World Championships in three different categories. Roberto Mancini and Massimo Ambrosini soccer champions and Filippo Magnini for swimming. And with reference to the regional teams, excellence such as the Lube volleyball team or the Sutor Premiata Montegranaro basketball team give an excellent reputation to the Marche in Italy and worldwide.In our region sport represents an opportunity for growth and an excellent means of personal development and solidarity, because everyone including the disabled, can practice any kind of sport.

Winter Sports. The snowy mountain peaks of the Apennines offer slopes that are ideal for winter sports. Many of the ten ski resorts of the region are part of the provinces of Macerata and Ascoli Piceno, but also the province of Pesaro and Urbino offer ski-lifts and high level slopes. During the winter season it is possible to go both alpine skiing (or Nordic skiing) and cross-country skiing, along picturesque routes of various length and difficulty. In the âMonti Sibilliniâ there are more rugged and mountainous environments suited to more technical disciplines such as ski-trekking and ski-mountaineering.

Hiking. The mountains and hillsides of The Marche offer the possibility to live one of kind experiences, immersed in nature, to rediscover authentic scents, sights, sounds and colours, but also in close contact with a heritage rich in history, traditions, art and culture. While taking a walk, or between one slope and the other, not to be missed is the opportunity to visit the enchanting villages scattered across the territory in order to discover the authentic beauty and to learn about the great historical-artistic value of the inland while savouring the typical cuisine of a consolidated and genuine tradition. When the winter season draws to a close a dense network of trails open up to lovers of hiking: there are many itineraries to be followed on foot, horseback or by mountain-bike, in order to discover this beautiful territory which boasts two national parks, four regional parks and three nature reserves. Lovers of hiking cannot miss out on the opportunity to follow even just a short distance of the "Grande Escursione Appenninica" which follows the spine of the peninsula following an enchanting trail in the Marche.

All of the trails are marked, modulated according to the different levels of difficulty in order to satisfy the demands of true experts as well as simple amateurs. The trail can be followed together with professionals and those who have an in depth knowledge of the territory as well as in complete autonomy thanks to the dense network of mountain huts, all well equipped and strictly authentic, which offer shelter and food to climbers during their hike.

Extreme sports. For those who wish to satisfy their need for movement and thirst for adventure by practising high adrenaline level sports, more demanding sports activities are available both along the coast and inland, such as gliding, hand gliding and paragliding. Rivers offering entertaining surprises are a must for those loving more courageous and daring watersports: the waters of the Metauro, for example, are ideal for lovers of canoeing and kayaking, to plunge into thrilling descents surrounded by breathtaking nature. In particular, the trail between the Frasassi Gorge and the Della Rossa Gorge near Genga represents one of the most striking and enchanting trails from a scenery viewpoint.

Bicycle. One of the most enjoyable ways to visit the region is by bicycle because it offers the possibility to appreciate, at the same time, the beauties of nature as well as those of art and history and to savour the typical cuisine of the territory while practising your favourite activity.While not too challenging from a technical point, The Marche offers magnificent views to bikers and cyclists, where the green grass mingles with the thousands of colours within of the crops, with the blue of the sky or sea on the horizon, in order to lose oneself within the shadows of the mountains not too far away. The mountain bike trails are more challenging, especially those near the Acqualagna, nell‟alta Esino valley and on the Conero.

Golf. An exemplary destination for golf lovers that will find the perfect green on the well taken care of the turf full of little lakes. It comes as no surprise that recently many golf clubs have opened in The Marche, whose high level of quality is certified and periodically checked by the competent sports Committees. Furthermore, the landscape transmits its intrinsic quietness and serenity, therefore favouring concentration, a fundamental element in order to play this sport.

Horseback riding. Green woods and hills with beautiful views are the backdrop for experiencing the thrill of horseback riding in The Marche countryside. Horse riding is not only a sport, but it is a way of getting in touch with nature and the animal world, discovering their secrets in total freedom. There are many opportunities to try these activities ranging from small local riding schools in the many holiday farms for passing visitors to the larger riding centres that offer quality courses and trekking accompanied by an âequestrian guideâ - present throughout the entire region, in Pesaro, Fano, Senigallia or Ancona. The Marche region is known for its equestrian traditions, shown by the presence of three racecourses present within the region (San Marone in Civitanova Marche, Martini in Corridonia and San Paolo in Montegiorgio), the famous âMuseo della Carrozzaâ (Carriage Museum) in Macerata and the âMuseo Storico del Trottoâ (Historical Harness Racing Museum) in Civitanova Marche, next to the racecourse stables, with equestrian memorabilia, documents and trophies on display.

Marine water sports. The 180 kilometres of coastline, where many blue flags bearing fly as proof of the good water quality and bather friendliness, also offer the opportunity to practice all water sports. The rocky shores at the mountainside of Monte Conero, for example, are deemed as being the best for lovers of scuba diving; in the many ports dotted along the coast it is possible to rent sail and motor boats, as well as their utilities such as water, electricity, toilets and showers. It is possible to take surf, swimming, scuba diving, water skiing and windsurf courses.